Post-NYE Seattle gloom (yes, it’s gray-er). We already discussed them in the past.
River of Dirt [MP3]
Marissa Nadler’s “busy mind”, as she puts it, recently released a fourth album. Titled “Little Hells” it continues Marissa’s haunting tradition, layering it with more and more complex music. This comes to show on stage as well, when she at times steps back from the microphone, into the shadows of her instrumental realm. In general this album continues Marissa’s exploration of musical instruments and effects. It seems like the natural next stop for her journey that started from such a vocal place. It’s definitely a fun ride so far.
Marissa performs with Alela Diane (one after the other, not collaborating) throughout her tour.
Tour dates:
October 27th – Rickshaw Stop – San Fransisco, CA. – w/ Alela Diane
October 29th- Echo- Los Angeles, CA. w/ Alela Diane
October 30th- The Loft – UC San Diego – w/ Alela Diane
November 1st – Rhythm Room- Phoenix, Arizona – w/ Alela Diane
November 3rd – Cactus Cafe- Austin, Texas
November 4th- The Fort Worth Modern Museum- Fort Worth, Texas – w/ Alela Diane
November 5th- Chelseas- Baton Rouge, LA – w/ Alela Diane
November 6th- Bottletree- Birmingham, AL. – w/ Alela Diane
November 7th- The Earl – Atlanta, Georgia – w/ Alela Diane
November 9th- Arts Center- Carrboro, North Carolina – w/ Alela Diane
November 10th – DC9 – Washington, DC – w/ Alela Diane
November 11th- World Cafe- Philadelphia, PA – w/ Alela Diane
November 13th- Le Poisson Rouge – NY, NY – w/ Alela Diane
November 14th – Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY – w/ Alela Diane
November 15th- La Sala Rossa – Montreal, Quebec – w/ Alela Diane
November 16th- Legendary Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, Ontario
November 17th- Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL. – w/ Alela Diane
November 18th- 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN- w/ Alela Diane
November 20th- Hi Dive – Denver, Colorado – w/ Alela Diane
November 21st- Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, Utah – w. Alela Diane
Video-spective: Marissa Nadler
28-Apr-09
Marissa Nadler’s Mexican Summer video seem to all own the characterization of a moving painting, with so many moments just waiting to be frozen on the canvas. This video is actually just another work in a string of well made videos that have accompanied her work through the last few years. In that way her video clips are pieces of art by themselves.
Thinking of You is another great example of how the video serves the music well. Indeed, the imagery is a loyal servant of the song, which is in turn is the servant of the sexual and lustful mind. Beautiful symbiosis.
Heart Paper Lover continues to explore the medium of video, this time in a more contemporary fashion, getting closer to the so common minimal video art. Urban lost souls unite!
I will finish with a charming cover she did to the eternal Leonard Cohen classic (BTW, he is back to touring, so be graceful with yourself and try to catch him):
Life Boat [MP3]
Early November [MP3]
Miranda Lee Richards’ recently released album Light Of X (2009) ranges between carefully nuanced baroque pop to wistful folk melodies, from delicately soft to the sharp and hypnotic arrangements. “Early November”, the album’s first single, carries multi-layered harmonies, atmospheric guitar riffs and soft yet expressive vocals that bring to mind the ethereal sound of Sarah McLachlan. In “Life Boat” Miranda’s soothing vocals woven with the 60’s inspired psychedelic folk arrangements create dreamy landscapes and mesmerizing atmosphere.
Links:
MySpace profile
Official website
Glory [MP3]
Haze [MP3]
Built around piano, acoustic guitars, occasional dramatic strings and breathy vocals, Essie Jain’s debut album We Made This Ourselves (2007) ranges from the warm and intimate to the whispery and dark. Essie’s slow paced songs, delicate harmonies and haunting lyrics bring to mind old fashioned folk ballads and Vashti Bunyan’s sense of fragility. While the arrangements of her songs are minimal, Essie’s songwriting captivates, touches and moves.
Links:
MySpace Profile
Little Bird [MP3]
Takes So Long [MP3]
Gotta Have You [MP3] (from Say I am You, 2005)
Being partners in life, as well as in music, Deb Talan and Steve Tannen have a great story to share. Falling in love, admiring each other’s work and forming The Weepies. The duo writes sincerely sweet, quiet and simply crafted songs. Another intimate homemade record, Hideway (2008), is the result of all the couple has experienced and absorbed so far. The Weepies deliver delightful folk songs, full of clever phrasing, loveliness and darker moments.
Links:
Official website
MySpace Profile
Conquistadors: Oy Division
02-May-08
Lyuba Bratzi Lyuba and Moldove [MP3]
March of the Morons [MP3]
A word of clarification:
“Oy vey” (Yiddish: אױ װײ) (or just “oy”) is an exclamation of dismay or exasperation.
And a word of approbation:
Understanding matters little when the division marches on. In the basements of Tel Aviv, of all other place, these Eastern European conquistadors has commenced their advance. With a mixture of languages and cultures long pronounced dead, Oy Division creates, and re-creates, the Eastern European culture that seemed to have died years ago. My Yiddish and Russian are non existent and my German is a shame. I do posses an extensive knowledge of Hebrew and English, which here proved totally useless. It’s, of course, matters little in this “retro” festivity. Oy Division does traditional Klezmer music, but they do it the way it was done when it dictated the heart beats of million – frantic and insane.
Oy Division are releasing their debut album in May and will be touring Bangkok, Singapore, Hanoi, Krakow, Toronto, Tel Aviv and Romania until August (details on their MySpace).
Links:
MySpace profile
Science Books [MP3]
Apple for Evan [MP3]
Accompanied by a Wurlitzer keyboard, a banjolin, drums, a glockenspiel and guitars, the witty and well written songs of Arrah and the Ferns are the perfect weekend pop fun. Folk, Indie Rock and Alt Country influences create a bright and cute indie pop mixture. Arrah and the Ferns will make you smile and shine.
LINKS:
Official website
MySpace Profile
Babies [MP3]
Valkyries [MP3]
Black Haven (with Devendra Banhart) [MP3]
By framing her distinctive voice and the lyrics with the minimal production of her rhythms, Texan songstress Jana Hunter keeps things simple, clear and raw. Recorded in a mere two weeks, There’s No Home (2007) captures the heart with its haunting strings and electric guitar arrangements, sing-along choruses and country-like tunes, while Jana unfolds her emotional complexity, sharing her intimate stories of love and longing.
Links:
MySpace profile
Jana Hunter on Gnomonsong Records
Folking Bluegrass: Moriarty
06-Jan-08
Jimmy [VIDEO]
Moriarty create a folk fairy tale that seems to take place somewhere in the mountains of Tennessee. It doesn’t really matter if Tennessee has the required mountains, it doesn’t really matter if Tennessee exists at all. The place is irrelevant, because these folk stories can be told anywhere. Folking their way into the Bluegrass realm, Moriarty are as place less as eternal. Everywhere and always, Jimmy-types kids are running around and people are going to war.
Links:
Official website
Myspace profile
